


Light

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Other tags to be added, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-10 17:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4400351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint Barton works at Starbucks, and he really likes this one regular customer, a fiery redhead who gets nothing but black coffee every morning. He finally gets the courage to write his number on her cup, but something goes wrong. In the end, the fiery redhead was but a passing cloud, a distant star compared to Laura, who was like the sun, making his dull, boring life an adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> based off of [this](http://scaaarlet-witch.tumblr.com/post/124763106542/cute-summer-alternative-meeting-aus-for-your-otp) tumblr post

Clint Barton worked at Starbucks.

It was a boring job. He needed to pay tuition, and so far Starbucks hadn't found out about his criminal record. Either that, or the manager, Steve, chose to ignore it, because that was a very Steve thing to do.

Clint's life, at least for the summer, was this: get up, go to work, get home, eat, sleep, repeat. He did have time for other things, but there were downsides to only having a few friends. Good thing he could sleep for a long, long time.

The highlight of Clint's day was when the brooding redhead entered every morning. She never used her real name and never used one fake name twice. Clint could remember every single name she'd ever said. Well, he wrote them down. That was beside the point.

She ordered black coffee every morning. It was surprising to find someone like that with all the fancy drinks. (Clint used to call them 'frilly drinks' but then Steve got him to try one and now he was hooked on the Cotton Candy Creme Frappuccino.) (He wasn't ashamed.) (Maybe he was, a little.)

This morning, the redhead came in with a friend. A brunette who was very pretty. Pretty as the redhead. 

"Black coffee and venti cotton candy frap." The redhead said.

"Names?" He asked with a grin.

The brunette was about to speak when the redhead cut her off. "Laura and Natalie."

Clint rolled his eyes. "I gotta ask, who's who?"

The brunette elbowed the redhead. "Don't you come here all the time?" She asked. "Doesn't he know your name?"

The fiery redhead laughed. "I come up with a new name every morning."

"It's true." Clint confirmed. "Last week, she was Isadora."

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "And you haven't used Laura yet? Isn't it more common that, let's say, Isadora?"

"So you're Laura." Clint cut in. "And you aren't Natalie."

"Yes." Not Natalie replied. "Now hurry up."

As the distance grew between him and the two girls, Clint realized that Laura had ordered a cotton candy frap. Like he did. Ah, well, it didn't mean anything. Maybe it did mean something. Maybe it would mean less if it hadn't come from a pretty girl like Laura. Oh, well, Laura paled in comparison to Not Natalie. 

* * *

"So, did you make your move on Red yet?" Steve asked later. As well as being Clint's manager, Steve was also his room mate. That'd change soon, though, when Steve moved in with his boyfriend, Bucky.

"I did not think I'd hear that sentence coming out of your mouth, old man." Clint retorted. He liked to call Steve 'old man' because of his old-fashioned ideals. He made fun of him for it, but truthfully, Clint thought that Steve was pretty respectable.

"Come on, Barton." Steve sighed exasperatedly. "You've had a crush on her for ages."

"Ugh." He groaned. "Get off my ass."

"You get off your ass." Steve retorted. "Remember when you said you were going to ask her out?"

"Yeah, but she's scary, Steve." Clint sighed. "I mean, if it takes too long to get her coffee, she gives me this murderous stare and I'm sure that she's very capable of murder." He shuddered to think of Not Natalie's evil expression.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I saw you looking at the girl who was with her today." He said casually, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, Laura?" He replied nonchalantly. The name felt right. He shrugged it off. 

"You remembered her name." Steve pointed out mildly. "That's more than you do with ninety nine percent of the customers."

"I know all of Red's names." Clint argued. 

"You wrote them down." Steve countered. "Can you name any from memory?"

"The last ten days." Clint replied triumphantly. "Taylor, Irina, Isadora, Ruby, Sara, Aline, Kaelyn, Charlotte, Lucille, Natalie."

"Nice." Steve said, not sounding the least bit impressed. "Now I know exactly how obsessed you are."

"You know what, Rogers, tomorrow I will ask her out." He relented. After a pointed look from his friend, he added, "I'm leaving her my number."

* * *

Natasha had a plan. 

"Tomorrow, you're coming to Starbucks with me." She announced.

"Again?" Laura replied tiredly.

"And you're ordering black coffee." Natasha went on as if her friend hadn't spoken.

"I hate black coffee."

"No, you don't. You love it and you are getting it. Alright?"

"Fine, Natasha. One condition. I get to tell him your name."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'd let you?"

Laura shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Natasha was very proud of her plan. She was sure everyone would benefit from it. If they ever got past the awkward stage that was definitely coming, of course.

Now, she knew that tomorrow was the day Clint would finally muster the courage to ask her out. She'd say no, of course, but perhaps if someone else received the invitation, someone else who had the same black coffee as her, someone whose name she hadn't used yet.

Someone like, let's say, Laura.


	2. Chapter 2

"Today's the day." Clint muttered to himself. Today he was going to ask out Anna Chapman* Wannabe. She'd kill him if she ever heard him call her 'Anna Chapman Wannabe'.

Technically, he could just bail out. He didn't have to ask her if he didn't want to, but he told Steve he would, and Clint Barton was a man of his word. Most of the time. Some of the time. Whatever, he told himself, today he was going to leave Anna Chapman his number.

His determination evaporated when she and her friend Laura appeared. This was going to be very, very difficult. 

"Two black coffees." Redhead ordered.

"Names?" Clint managed to keep his voice normal. Well, it sounded normal to him. He hoped the two didn't see how nervous he was.

Red smiled. "Laura and Laura." The real Laura glared at her friend. Clint's mouth dried up. Maybe this wasn't going to work. What if the real Laura got the cup? Maybe he could mispell Redhead's to say Lara. No, she'd already used Lara, and she obviously knew that he knew all of her names. She knew everything. He sighed, squared his shoulders, and decided that he would take the chance.

* * *

"I don't like black coffee." Laura complained as they walked to a vacant table.

"You love it and you're going to drink it." Or not. Laura just had to see the cup.

"I have to ask, why Laura?" She asked absently as she sat down.

"You pointed out that I hadn't used it yet." Natasha replied with a shrug. "So I used it." While she was saying this, she inspected both cups to see which had writing scrawled quickly on in. She gave Laura the one with the phone number, acting like she hadn't seen it.

Laura began to sip the coffee, a sour expression on her face. "How do you drink this every morning?" She muttered, setting the cup down.

Damn it, she didn't notice. Time for another little push. "What's that?" She asked, ignoring her friend's question.

"What's what?" Laura replied, but realized when Natasha pointed it out. Her eyes widened. "D'you think that it was meant for you?" She asked after a long pause.

Natasha shook her head. "No, I saw him looking at you yesterday."

She gasped. "And you didn't tell me?"

"It didn't seem important." The russian replied with a shrug. "He's not all that hot, you know."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She retorted. "Have you seen those _arms_?"

"His arms are pretty hot." Natasha conceded. "But I fear the rest of him wouldn't live up to it, if you know what I mean."

Laura scoffed. "Just because you're aromantic, doesn't mean romance means nothing to me." She the smiled shyly. "I'm gonna call him. I don't know when, but I will."

"You don't even know his name." Natasha reminded her, sipping her coffee blissfully. Her plan was working out smoothly.

"You do." She pushed her coffee away, unable to drink any more of it.

"His name's Clint Barton." Natasha relented. "And are you going to drink that?"

Shaking her head, Laura said, "I don't know how you can drink one, let alone two of those."

After a moment, Natasha replied with complete seriousness, "It's black, like the void."

"Okay then, satan."

* * *

Late in the evening of the next day, Clint's phone rang, like he'd been waiting to since the day before. When he answered it, it was just a telemarketer. "Shit." He muttered.

"Did she call you yet?" Steve asked.

"No." Clint grumbled, emerging from his room to see Steve eating with Bucky.

"Tough luck." Bucky said sympathetically. "Though I have never had much luck with the ladies."

Steve scoffed. "'The ladies' were all over you in high school, Buck."

"Good thing I was hella gay." Bucky replied, kissing Steve on the cheek. 

"Bye." Clint cried, turning back to his room.

"C'mon, Hawkeye." Bucky protested. Hawkeye was a nickname Bucky had came up with once he learned about Clint's archery skills. "We'll stop. I promise."

"I don't." Steve added. 

"Now, Barton, what seems to be troubling you, other than the fact that the super awesome girl you gave your number hasn't called you and it has been a day and how many hours?" Bucky asked, smiling cheekily.

"Thirteen." Clint blurted out suddenly, then froze. He just had to say it, didn't he.

"Thirteen what?" Bucky asked, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"A day and thirteen hours since I gave her my number." He mumbled miserably. He had been counting, because he was just that desperate for companionship. 

"You've got it bad, kid." Bucky observed. 

Normally, Clint might've told Bucky to not call him 'kid', but he was busy wallowing in self-pity. Suddenly, his thoughts drifted to Laura, Anna Chapman Wannabe's friend. That kept happening. Which was funny, because other than Laura, his head was consumed with thoughts of the redhead. He'd even forgotten to eat that morning. Come to think of it, he still hadn't eaten.

Taking a seat across from Bucky and Steve, Clint stared at the food his friends were eating. Lasagna. Normally, lasagna would have looked delicious, but right now, he had zero appetite. He continued to stare at it.

"Barton?" Steve asked. "You trying to glare a hole through the lasagna?"

"Yes." He replied distactedly. Suddenly, his phone rang. He sprang up and vaulted to his room, answering before it could ring a second time. "Hello?" He said, heart beating like a drum.

A familiar but distinctly not Redhead voice answered. "Clint?" It was Laura, he realized. Damn it, they'd gotten it mixed up. He should've been more careful, damn it. Now what was he supposed to do?

"Yes?" He replied.

"You left me your number." She said. 

"That I did." Clint mumbled. He couldn't just hang up, couldn't tell her it was meant for her friend, couldn't turn her down since she thought that he offered.

"So..." she began expectantly.

"So..." He echoed, tapping his fingers nervously.

She sighed. "So, are you gonna ask me out or not?"

He frowned. He had to go through with this. "Yeah. Sorry, I'm just nervous. Pick you up at eight tomorrow?"

"Eight." She replied lightly, then hung up. He did the same, then threw his phone across the room.

"Shit!" He shouted.

There was a groan from outisde. "Ugh." Clint left his room to see Bucky and Steve sitting pn the kitchen table, staring at him expectantly. 

"What happened?" Steve asked kindly.

"It better be damn important, Hawkeye. We were doing something I was rather enjoying." Bucky added, hand intertwined with Steve's. Ah, that's what they were doing on the kitchen table. Wait, how had it happened so fast? And more importantly, where was the lasagna?

He quickly explained what happened. "And now I'm going on a date with my crush's friend." He finished with a gusty sigh.

"She was cute." Steve said with a shrug. "And you remember her name, so there's that."

"I'm offended, Stevie." Bucky said with a fake frown. "Doesn't she pale in comparison to yours truly?"

"Of course, my love." Steve replied dramatically, purposely falling into his boyfriend's arms.

"Ew." Clint sniffed. "I seem to remember we were talking about my love life?"

"You have a love life?" Bucky retorted, sounding genuinely surprised. Clint made a pouty face and stuck his tongue out.

"I can't wait till you move out, Steve." He chuckled. "Then Satan's handmaiden here won't bug me all the time."

Bucky mulled over this for a moment. "Satan's handmaiden. I like it. Anyway, you'll be lonely without us."

Clint closed his eyes. "I guess. I have other friends."

"Don't lie to yourself, kid." Bucky whispered.

He huffed out an exasperated breath. "And I said I'd miss you! You know what, you're going to Bucky's apartment tonight, Steve. I'm kicking you two out, and I really want to sleep tonight."

In unison, Bucky and Steve both said, "Fine with me." They grinned at each other, and before they could begin a vicious face battle, he ushered them out. 

"Remember, you have to get home. You aren't allowed to do it in public." He called after them. "Because may I remind you that has been a problem before!"

Now, Clint felt better. He didn't have two lovestruck idiots mooning over each other now. No one to make him feel lonely.

Ah, well. One day, Anna Chapman Wannabe would agree to a date with him. 

But first, Laura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Anna Chapman is a Russian national who was arrested in June 2010 on suspicion of working for the Illegals Program spy ring under the Russian SVR.


	3. Chapter 3

Clint was very nervous for his date. It was in an hour, and they had reservations at a fancy restaurant called Daniel. He was dressed in slacks and a dark blue button up. 

He emerged from his bedroom fidgeting. He told himself that he shouldn't be this nervous, Laura wasn't even the one he wanted to go on a date with, but for some reason, he was still filled with butterflies.

"Lookin' good, Hawkeye." Bucky said.

Clint snorted. "Don't you have your own apartment?"

"It doesn't have Steve in it." Bucky retorted. He then smirked. "Need any condoms, Barton?"

"Ugh. I can't wait till you and Steve get your own place. I'm tired of you, Barnes. I'm not going to do that." Clint sighed.

"You love me." Bucky crossed his arms with a smug smile.

Clint rolled his eyes. "When you bring food with you, sure."

"I barely ever bring food."

"When you do, it's delicious." Clint narrowed his eyes. "Before you make some comment about 'kiss the cook', I know it's take out. That diner's not as secret as you think it is."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "You've revealed my deepest secret, Hawkeye. Whatever shall I do?"

"Shut up, maybe." Steve chimed in. "Since you can't cook, I am, and I might end up accidentally throwing the pasta sauce in your face."

"You know where you can shove that pasta sauce, Rogers?" Bucky shot back affectionately. "C'mon, I'm prepping him for his date."

"Prepping. Right." Clint snorted. 

Clint waited idly for forty minutes. He drove to the restaurant and arrived at precisely seven fifty, ten minutes early. 

"Name?" The person asked him.

"Barton." Clint replied quietly. The man led him to a table for two. He fidgeted and worried for five minutes. Then she arrived. He stood up and pulled her chair out for her. Sure, he may not have been raised right, or raised by anyone at all, but he could still be a gentleman.

"I feel a little underdressed." Laura confessed. She was dressed in a white blouse and pale blue skirt. It was simple, but nice.

"You look beautiful." He replied easily, and he meant it.

"So." She said awkwardly.

"So." He echoed. His nerves were getting the best of him. "Uh, what's your job?" He lowered his eyes bashfully.

She grinned. "It's alright, Clint. I work at a flower shop."

"Which one?" He asked. "So it'll be a surprise when I buy you a bouquet."

"It won't be much of a surprise." She pointed out. "You've just told me."

He raised an eyebrow. "I guess I did." He thought for a moment. "It could come at any time. The next date, in the middle of the night three weeks from now."

She cocked her head. "Next date?" When he froze, she laughed. It was a beautiful laugh. "I'm having a great time, Clint. It's fine."

"We haven't even ordered yet." He pointed out weakly.

They talked all night, and Clint was glad that Laura had called him instead of Redhead. He learned that Laura loved reading but despised romance novels. She wanted to travel but at the same time hated leaving her home for too long. She'd once made sandwiches in Sandwich, Massachusetts. 

When the night was over, he didn't want to leave.

"Here, do you want my number?" She offered. He nodded and gave her his phone so she could type it in. He head it over two or three times and had it memorized. He drove home in a daze.

He unlocked the door to his apartment at elleven thirteen to find Steve and Bucky waiting on the couch. Well, Bucky was waiting for him. Steve was asleep, arm draped across Bucky's shoulder, head on Bucky's chest.

"So?" Bucky drawled. Steve was awoken by the sudden sound. 

"Old man couldn't even stay up till eleven." Clint chuckled. 

Steve snorted. "We were beginning to worry you'd gone home with her. You didn't bring any condoms."

"Christ, Rogers." Clint muttered.

"Look at his eyes, Stevie." Bucky stage-whispered. "He's lovestruck."

"Am not." Clint argued.

"You really are." Steve countered. 

"She is so much better than you two." Clint muttered. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Hawkeye!"

"Night, Bucky."

Clint stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed. His thoughts never strayed far from Laura. Suddenly, he remembered Not Natalie. The redhead had completely slipped his mind as soon as he saw Laura. It was a happy accident.

He soon fell asleep, dreaming of Laura and of flowers.

* * *

"Wake up, Barton!" Bucky thundered.

Clint groaned. "Seriously, you do have your own apartment."

"Yeah, whatever. This is important. Your redheaded friend called." 

Clint would've snapped awake, but frankly it was impossible. "What? Tell me out there. I need coffee." He shuffled to the kitchen in an old bathrobe.

"She just told me to get you to call her back." Bucky informed him as the coffeemaker burbled.

Clint was too tired to ask why Bucky answered it. "Okay. I'll do it in a minute." Twelve hours before, he would have jumped at the chance to call the redhead, but now, she wasn't important. So he drank two cups of coffee and got dressed before he called her. There was no answer, so he brushed his teeth and began walking to Starbucks.

Redhead was there as soon as he walked in at her usual table. She pulled him aside with a scowl. "I told you to call me. I gave that other guy my number to tell you."

Clint sighed. "Bucky is not the most trustworthy person. He probably gave me the wrong number, I did call. Now what is it? I have a job to get to."

She smirked. "Not so infatuated with me now, are you?" At his appalled look, her smirk grew smirk-ier. "I did that on purpose. I don't do dating."

He shrugged. "Is that what you came to tell me?"

Her face grew serious. "No. Laura wouldn't shut up about you. I know you're a good guy, despite your criminal record. She really likes you. You don't deserve her. But... I think I'll tell you my name."

Clint gaped. All he could say was, "How do you know about my criminal record?"

She rolled her eyes. "As soon as I set you two up, I did a background check. I won't let Laura go out with a lunatic."

He gulped. "Okay."

Her face hardened again. "I... my name's Natasha."

He nodded and blinked. When he opened his eyes, she was gone. How did she do that? She was a ninja.

Clint was distracted all day. Steve let him off early. As soon as he got home, he texted Laura.

**Clint: Hi**

**Laura: Hey**

**Clint: how does next friday at 8 sound?**

**Laura: good. can't wait!**

**Clint: don't be surprised if a bunch of flowers fly through your open window**

**Laura: how do you know if my window will be open?**

**Clint: you'll keep it open for this purpose**

**Laura: confident**

**Clint: always**

Clint grinned. He really, really liked Laura. 


End file.
